8.14.2016

Right angles, wrong angles

The elephant continues. 26 pieces complete, 71 to go. As I go, I realize that this project leans entirely on my biggest weakness as a quilter, which is my complete lack of spatial intelligence. Have you seen that spatial intelligence test where you look at a drawing of an object and then they show you four choices and you have to select the correct drawing of the object viewed from a different angle? I have, and I probably scored worse than random guessing would have. So taking a little triangle of fabric that I know will cover the intended space and then having to figure out how to angle the seam so that it actually covers the intended space is an exercise in frustration.

Take 23C here, which is that gray piece sticking out in the position it had to be sewn in order to get the angle right. (This is after it was trimmed down - I'm not so insane that I try to get things exact.) So, if I've learning anything going forward, it's that if a piece has a wonky angle and yet isn't sticking out wonkily as I sew it down, it's probably wrong. A handy rule of thumb, sure, but I don't seem to be improving much past that. Onward, elephant ho! Happy crafting!